Day 19 (cont.) - Finally!

Today’s project was bugging Lori on the Stonecoat Countertop finish for the kitchen counters in their expedition vehicle. My role seemed to be making suggestions on her technique. Yes, I was a pest. But she did a fabulous job and the countertop looks fantastic. Around 2:00, we heard from the RV dealer that the refrigerator was working. We headed up to Ringgold, GA, after stopping to pick up Chris at his appointment. The refrigerator was working though the propane was low. I need to fill it up tomorrow. A huge thank you to Chris and Lori! I was their house guest for eleven days and they drove me up to Ringgold three times! Plus they had this very interesting project.

This is the second leg of the trip. From Ringgold, GA, to Corvallis, OR. Tonight, I’m parked at a Cracker Barrel in Clarksville, TN, taking advantage of their free RV parking. It was extremely crowded going through Chattanooga and Nashville. Not optimal conditions for learning to drive the new rig, I was planning to stop south of Nashville but traffic was very heavy and the parking lot at that Cracker Barrel was crowded. I didn’t feel like trying to snake a bus through the lot. So after finding a place to turn around, Onward towards St. Louis, MO. I ended up driving after sunset which is something that I’d rather not do with an unfamiliar vehicle. 189 miles today. Driving the coach (that seems to be what people call them) is pretty straightforward as long as you keep track of the wheels and the rear corners. The cruise control is nice to have and the exhaust brake really slows you down as it downshifts the transmission automatically. It seemed to run hot while climbing some grades in TN but the outside temperature was 98°F so maybe that is normal. I stopped at a truck stop and it took 65 gal at 1/3 tank. There were a lot of trucks waiting for fuel so it was a longish 30 minute stop.

More tomorrow.